Guam to get another submarine - the latest

The Virginia-class USS Minnesota submarine is expected to arrive to homeport in Guam, after Oct. 1 - in the coming fiscal year, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force.

The USS Minnesota pulls pier side in Norfolk, Va. on June 24, 2013. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex R. Forster.

The Minnesota was commissioned in 2013 and is currently homeported at Pearl Harbor. In early July it completed a two-year maintenance overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, according to the Stars and Stripes military newspaper, which broke the story.

Guam’s Submarine Squadron 15 has four Los Angeles class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines - the USS Springfield, the USS Ashville, the USS Jefferson City, and the USS Annapolis. A fifth submarine, the USS Key West left Guam in January, headed for the U.S. mainland and de-commissioning.

The nuclear-powered Virginia-class subs will eventually replace the Navy’s aging fleet of Los Angeles-class vessels.

Guam is also the home port for the U.S. Navy's only submarine tenders, the USS Emory S. Land and the USS Frank Cable. mbj

Chamber forum highlights multiple economic topics

SAN ROQUE, Saipan — Northern Mariana Islands government and business leaders outlined strategies to revive tourism, expand economic sectors, strengthen workforce development, invest in infrastructure, and leverage U.S. military spending during the Saipan Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum on March 11 at the Kensington Hotel Saipan.

Guam to get another submarine - the latest